Emperor Renzong of Western Xia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Emperor Renzong of Western Xia

Birth and death:	1124 – 1193
Family name:	Lǐ (李)
Given name:	Rénxiào (仁孝)
Dates of reign:	1139¹–1193
Dynasty:	Western Xia (西夏)
Temple name:	Rénzōng (仁宗)
Posthumous name: (short)	Shèngzhēndì (聖禎帝)
Posthumous name: (full)
General note: Dates given here are in the Julian calendar. They are not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
———

Emperor Renzong, born Li Renxiao, was the 5th emperor of the Western Xia dynasty (1124-1193; reigned 1139-1193).

Li Renxiao was the eldest son of Emperor Chongzong, and succeeded him at the age of sixteen. After ascending into the throne, Renzong made friendly overtures to the Jin Dynasty. In domestic politics, Renzong created many schools and used examinations to choose his officials. He respected Confucianism, and built many temples worshipping Confucius. During era Tian Sheng, Renzong hired a Tibet lama as a religious advisor and printed many copies of Buddhist teachings.

In 1170, Renzong discovered a plot to kill him. He executed the generals who were behind the plot. As a result, Renzong distrusted his army generals and the army began to fall into incompetence. During his later years, Western Xia began to fight wars against various enemies.

Renzong's reign was the peak of Western Xia Dynasty. Many tribes to the north and west became vassal states of Western Xia, and Renzong's focus on internal politics allowed the central government to be more efficient. His reign coincides with the peak of the Southern Song and the Jing Dynasties, and there were relatively few conflicts between these three countries.

He died in 1193.